Nov 28, 2006
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Akira Kadota, International PR Tel: +81-3-3578-1237 Fax: +81-3-3436-6766 Panasonic News Bureau Tel: +81-3-3542-6205 Fax: +81-3-3542-9018
Matsushita (Panasonic) Establishes
New Automotive Electronics Business Company in Thailand
to Cover the Asian Market
Building a "Global Five-Base Supplemental Network" to effectively use PAS resources on a global basis
Tokyo, Japan - Panasonic Automotive Systems Company (PAS), a division company of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., best known for its Panasonic brand, today announced it will establish Panasonic Automotive Systems Asia Pacific (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (PASAP) on December 1, 2006 in the Kingdom of Thailand.
The new company assumes a sales role and will cover fast-growing Asian markets including India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. With the establishment of a new technology development department, the company will also formulate a product development system aimed at meeting the needs of local consumers.
"The establishment of the new company as a hub for development, manufacture, and sales in the Asian region will lead to stronger cooperation among the PAS companies, realize global business opportunities and optimize Panasonic's product development and production system,*1" said Toru Nishida, the newly appointed Managing Director of Panasonic Automotive Systems Asia Pacific (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
In the first half of 2006, the automobile-related export value in Thailand reached 500 billion JPY. This figure is estimated to reach 1 trillion JPY by the end of the year. Thailand has become the fourth largest exporting country in the Asian market for completed vehicles and components following Japan, Korea and China. Within the region which PASAP will cover, automobile manufacturers project a growth in production and exports from 3.5 million vehicles produced in the 2005 fiscal year (ending March 2006) to an estimated figure of over 6 million vehicles in fiscal 2010 (ending March 2011). This means an average growth rate of 110%.*2
Since the establishment of PAS in January 2003, the company has established globally: Panasonic AS America (North America) in April 2003; Panasonic AS Europe GmbH (Europe) in April 2004; and Panasonic AS China (China) in April 2005, each with its multi-disciplinary approach to sales, manufacture and development. With the new company now also covering the Asian market, PAS aims to build what will be known as the "Global Five-Base (Japan, Americas, Europe, China, and Asia) Supplemental Network." The network will accelerate PAS's growth strategy by enhancing global co-operation of all five of its automotive electronics business across the world.
| *1 | Optimization of development/manufacture/sales by cooperation from PAS companies on a global basis, such as accepting product orders from an American car manufacturer, designing and developing in Japan, then producing in China. |
| *2 | Figures are based on an independent survey by Panasonic Automotive Systems and conducted in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and India. |
| [Corporate Profile of PASAP] | |
| Company name: | Panasonic Automotive Systems Asia Pacific (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Abbreviation: PASAP) |
| Managing Director: | Toru Nishida |
| Principal office (Head office): | Samut Prakan province, Kingdom of Thailand (40km east from Bangkok) |
| Date of incorporation: | December 1, 2006 |
| Principal business: | Development/manufacture/sales of in-vehicle multimedia related devices/systems. Sales of in-vehicle environment and safety energy sector related devices/systems (Import/Export included) |
| Business location: | Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Singapore |
| Number of employees: | 1,234 |
[Organization Chart of PASAP]
The new company is based on the structure of "Panasonic Automotive Systems (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (PASTH)", which is a production company in Thailand and consolidates Automotive Systems Division (ASD) from "Panasonic Industrial (Thailand) Ltd. (PICT)", which is an industry sales company. Also newly established is the Development/Engineering Department.
 |
| [Corporate Profile of PASTH] | |
| Company name: | Panasonic Automotive Systems (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Abbreviation: PASTH) |
| Managing Director: | Hideki Akahane |
| Principal office (Head office): | Samut Prakan province, Kingdom of Thailand |
| Date of incorporation: | June 1996 |
| Principal business: | Manufacture of in-vehicle multimedia related devices |
| [Corporate Profile of PICT] | |
| Company name: | Panasonic Industrial (Thailand) Ltd. (Abbreviation: PICT) |
| Managing Director: | Kazuhisa Inoue |
| Principal office (Head office): | Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand |
| Date of incorporation: | April 1997 |
| Principal business: | Domestic sales of industry products, sales and service of FA product |
| *Consolidates only ASD of PICT into PASAP. | |
About Panasonic
Best known by its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of US$76.02 billion for the year ended March 31, 2006. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:MC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.
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